Westford girls hockey heads into postseason

Wednesday

Feb 28, 2018 at 12:09 AMFeb 28, 2018 at 12:10 AM

Stephen Martellucci

In its final game of the regular season on Feb. 22, the Westford Academy-Littleton High co-op girls hockey team lost to Duxbury, 3-1, in the Hingham Hockey Showcase at Pilgrim Arena. With that defeat, the Grey Ghosts ended up at 11-5-4 overall.

The Dragons scored 6:34 into the first period.

That lead held until there was 5:20 left in the game as Kayleigh Butler scored on the power play assisted by Kerri Bolivar. However, the Dragons then scored with 3:34 left and closed the door with another goal with 2:35 remaining.

“They are one of the top five teams in the state,” said Grey Ghosts head coach Bob Ware. “They had more depth that we do.”

Duxbury outshot the Grey Ghosts on goal, 27-18, as goalie, Allison Kingsley, made 23 saves to fall to 4-1 in net.

In their first game of the Hingham Hockey Showcase on Feb. 20, the Grey Ghosts defeated Arlington Catholic, 5-3.

Butler scored the first goal 5:17 into the first period assisted by Val Crory and Kylie Gray. Crory then made it, 2-0, with 3:43 left with Meaghan Mulhern assisting.

The Cougars then got on the scoreboard with 1:38 left.

In the second, Crory made it, 3-1, assisted by Hannah Keefe 4:20 in. Keefe then recorded her 100th career point with a shorthanded goal with 3:48 left in the second.

“Our staff is really proud of Hannah,” stated Ware, about the senior forward. “She has been very dedicated for four years and is a true leader on and off the ice. I am thankful that she is part of the program.”

Arlington Catholic then made it a two-goal deficit scoring with 1:33 left in the second.

Crory, a freshman, then recorded her first-career hat trick with 7:36 remaining assisted by Butler and Bolivar.

The Cougars then got the final goal of the game with 3:38 left.

The grey Ghosts outshot the Cougars on goal, 28-12, as Westford goalie Allie Dean, made nine saves to improve to 7-4-4.

On Feb. 28, the 18th-seeded Grey Ghosts played host Winthrop in the preliminary round of the Division 1 state tournament at Larsen Rink (results unknown at press time). Winthrop is the 15th seed and entered the game at 12-5-1.

If the Grey Ghosts won that game they would play the winner of the Woburn-St. Peter-Marion game this Saturday night at 6 at the O’Brien Rink in Woburn.